So We Meet Again
by Jennifah88
Summary: Tristan has gone away to military school, and Rory thinks she's seen the last of him for good. But when Rory and her mother take a road trip, they run into an unexpected person; Tristan. What's he doing there? They shall soon find out. Please R&R.
1. Default Chapter

So We Meet Again - Chapter One  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, the WB owns everything, yadda yadda yadda. You know the drill. If you're going to sue, try someone who has more money than I do, k?  
  
Notes: This story takes place sometime after the episode Run Away Little Boy, so yes, Tristan has been sent off to military school. But never fear, because I plan to rectify that situation! I need my Trory fix, and since the show wasn't giving it to me, I decided to take matters into my own hands. If you wanna drop me a line in the review section and tell me what you think of this story, that'd be dandy. =) Feedback keeps me motivated to write faster. Wink.  
  
~  
  
"Where exactly are we going again?" Rory Gilmore asked impatiently; her overstuffed duffle-bag tucked neatly under one arm while she used the other to lug her mother's enormous suitcase towards the car. It was a hot, blistering day in the small town of Stars Hollow, and she had about as much as she could take.  
  
"I don't know! We'll see when we get there."  
  
Rory forced herself not to roll her eyes. She was a little annoyed by her mother's lack of direction, but she had managed to put up with it for 16 years, so it was nothing new. Lorelai wasn't exactly the typical mother figure, but that's what made her...Lorelai. "If we don't know where we're going, then how are we supposed to even get there?"  
  
"Good question," Lorelai said, coming up behind her daughter. She had an amused smile on her face, one of which Rory was all too familiar with. She was clearly excited over this out-of-the-blue trip. "One of which I don't have the answer to."  
  
Throwing the bags into the opened trunk, Rory threw up her hands. "You're the one who wanted to come on this trip."  
  
"Come on, you know you were dying for an excuse to just get away from everything," Lorelai whined, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. "You just needed me to give you the extra push."  
  
"The push towards insanity, you mean," Rory said dryly, slamming the trunk shut.  
  
Opening up her purse, Lorelai pulled out her car keys and unlocked the door. Sliding into the car, she threw Rory a bright smile, before saying, "Come on, kiddo, get in. It'll be fun."  
  
Rory took the seat next to her mother. "Don't call me kiddo."  
  
"Geez, someone's in a foul mood," Lorelai commented as they pulled out of the driveway.  
  
Sinking down into her seat, Rory gazed out the window somberly, her eyes taking in the beautiful scenery that was Stars Hollow. Too bad she couldn't enjoy it. Not when she had too much else on her mind.  
  
"Rory?"  
  
"Sorry," Rory said quickly, her voice taking on an apologetic tone. "I guess I've just been on edge lately."  
  
"So I've noticed. Wanna take about it?"  
  
She shrugged, not really wanting to get into it right now. Her mother was usually the person she turned to when a crisis arose, but not this time. "Not really."  
  
"You know I'm here if you need me, right?"  
  
Rory nodded her head. "I know."  
  
"I think this trip will be good for the both of us," Lorelai said suddenly, as if she had just come to the realization.  
  
"How do you figure?" Rory asked skeptically.  
  
"Well, we've both been going through some stuff lately, and I figure we need a little vacation to take our mind off things. It can't be healthy to keep dwelling on our problems."  
  
Rory sighed, finally giving in a little. Her problems could wait for later. "I guess you're right."  
  
"Of course I am."  
  
"So where are we going again?" Rory asked, after a moment, her mother still not having said anything else.  
  
"I told you I have no idea."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. Any specific place you wanna go?"  
  
Rory shrugged, not really having any destination in mind. "Doesn't matter to me. Just as long as it's NOT Stars Hollow."  
  
Lorelai chuckled. "That can be arranged."  
  
  
***  
  
  
Tristan DuGray angrily slammed his fist onto the cold, metal table, causing the waitress who had just approached to jump in surprise. He fixed her an apologetic gaze, knowing that he had allowed his temper to get the best of him. It wouldn't happen again. He was going to have to learn to control himself in the future, or he would ruin all his chances at a fresh start.  
  
"Can I get you anything, sir?" the chipper voice asked, uncapping her pen to write down his order.  
  
"Black coffee with two sugars and milk," he said indifferently, not really caring what he had to drink. He had only stopped by here for a quick refill before he had to leave again.  
  
"I'll be just one second."  
  
Tristan just nodded as he watched her leave. His eyes traveled nervously around the tiny café, as if there would be a solution hidden somewhere among the walls. What a laugh. There was no 'solution.' There was only a problem - and one that surely wouldn't be fixed anytime soon.  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
The voice snapped Tristan out of his reverie, and he looked up to meet the eyes of the waitress. Her smile was friendly, but he could tell she didn't really want to be there. That made two of them, then. "No, I'm good here," he said, reaching for the cup as she turned to go.  
  
For some unexplained reason, his eye caught her nametag, and he almost dropped his coffee in surprise. Mary. He should have figured as much. The Powers obviously enjoyed torturing him, after all. Well, he simply wasn't going to think about it. He had thought of nothing else besides this girl for weeks on end, and he just had to put a stop to it. It wasn't healthy to obsess over one person for so long. He should know, for he had been obsessing over Rory Gilmore since the first day she had walked into Chilton.  
  
Ah, memories.  
  
They were all he had left now.  
  
How melodramatic, he mentally chided himself, while sipping coffee that really didn't taste too good. It didn't matter anyway - he would probably never see her again. She was in another state, after all, and add to the fact that she was disgusted by his mere presence didn't bode too well for their future relationship.  
  
Slapping a few dollar bills onto the table, he stood up and strode out of the café with a confidence that he hadn't seen in a long time. Not since she had come, anyway. But that was all going to change. He actually found himself humming as he walked down the street. It was cheesy as hell, but it fit his current mood. All was going according to plan.  
  
Now all he had to do was get out of North Carolina. 


	2. Chapter Two

So We Meet Again - Chapter Two  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, the WB owns everything, yadda yadda yadda. You know the drill. If you're going to sue, try someone who has more money than I do, k?  
  
  
~  
  
"Mom, could we get out for awhile? I think I'm getting car sick," Rory asked several hours later, slumping into the back seat and holding her stomach.  
  
Glancing ahead at the open road, Lorelai frowned at her daughter. "But that's the beauty of a road trip! The lights, the chaos, the confusion, the sickness-"  
  
"Mom!"  
  
"Okay, okay, we'll get out once we get to the next motel."  
  
A satisfied smirk formed on Rory's face, knowing she had won. "Good."  
  
Lorelai knew never to argue with her daughter when she got like this. It was utterly pointless. Rory was rarely ever cross, but when she was...watch out.  
  
In the backseat Rory shifted uncomfortably, cradling her aching stomach and trying to will away the pain. She knew she should never have let her mother take her into taking a road trip - she just wasn't up for it. School had been overly stressful the past week, and she had been looking forward to a weekend of kicking back with no stress involved. Now, that would never happen.  
  
School hadn't been the only thing stressing her out, if she was perfectly honest with herself. Her relationship with Dean had been on the rocks lately, and she often found herself picking arguments with him over the smallest of things. She couldn't help herself - it was like they were both in this cycle that neither of them could break. Just the night before they had had a vicious spat over the phone, which had resulted in Rory coming to tears and locking herself in her room for over an hour. Her mother never knew about that. She would never know either, because Rory intended to keep it that way. Lorelai had enough stress in her life and she didn't need any added problems. So it was best to just be secretive.  
  
"Look, we're here!" Lorelai said eagerly, when she saw the motel they were nearing.   
  
"Oh, yay," Rory could see the flashing neon-blue sign that said 'Motel' and she inwardly let out a groan. This place was a dump.  
  
"Well, I said I'd stop at the first motel we came to-"  
  
"No, no, it's okay, really," Rory said, forcing a smile to her face.  
  
"We can keep driving and try to find a better motel, if you'd like," Lorelai suggested.  
  
Rory let out a deflated sigh. "I don't think my stomach would agree with that."  
  
Lorelai stepped out to get the luggage; leaving Rory to stare ahead at the crappy motel they would probably be spending the night in. This wasn't exactly her idea of a good time. The place was run-down, and badly in need of a new coating of paint, for the one it had now was a muddy shade of brown that was peeling, revealing dull strips of white underneath.  
  
Walking around to the front of the car, Lorelai tapped on the glass, signaling for Rory to come outside. Once the door was open, Rory planted both feet firmly on the pavement and let out a deep breath. She was going to be okay.  
  
"How are you holding up?"  
  
"Am I that green?" Rory asked, only half joking.  
  
"Nah, you'll be okay once we get some food and water into ya," Lorelai said comfortingly, steering her daughter towards the motel.  
  
"We'll see."  
  
***  
  
One more night. One more night and he would be free of this place. Tristan flopped back onto the stiff mattress with a happy sigh. It was true he had been forced to stay only a few days, but that was enough for him. Being considerably wealthy, he was used to living the high life and this was not exactly his cup of tea.  
  
But he had been forced to go to such measures in order to escape military school. Military school. Just those two words sent shivers up his spine, and a sick feeling crept into his stomach. It had been torture. Pure and utter torture is the only way he could think to describe it. The rules had been harsh; the lectures long, and the punishments severe. He had been slowly wasting away in that school, and he did the only thing he could think of doing at the time.  
  
He ran away.  
  
It hadn't been easy, that was for sure. He knew that his parents would be sending out someone to look for him as soon as word had broken out that he had escaped, which meant he had to keep a low maintenance if he hoped to avoid getting caught. No flashy cars, no expensive hotels - nothing. So he had been forced to stay in the grubby motel in order to lay low. His parents would never believe that he had been cooped up in such a place; hell, he wasn't even sure if he believed it himself.  
  
However, very soon he would be free from all of that. He was planning to flee the state as early as the next afternoon; he even had everything prepared already. The plan was to hitch a ride to the airport and board a plane with some money one of his friends had loaned him. He didn't dare try to tap into his savings account for fear that his parents would be able to track him. That would not be a good thing at all.  
  
He had no idea what he was going to do when he got to the next state. But anything was better than military school.  
  
Pulling himself out of bed, he decided to head downstairs to the tiny restaurant for a final meal. Tomorrow would only come soon enough.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"Do you think we've got cable?" Lorelai asked excitedly, glancing at the small television that sat on a nearby stand. It was an hour since they had arrived and unpacked, and she was  
  
"I doubt it," Rory said softly, her mind obviously elsewhere.  
  
"But that means I'm going to miss the Great Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle."  
  
Chuckling, Rory eyed her mother wryly. "Such are the great tragedies of life."  
  
"Do not mock my television preferences. Need I remind you of that unhealthy Barney obsession you had as a child?"  
  
"Okay, okay," Rory held up her hands, knowing her mother had won that round. "Actually I think I'm going to grab a bite to eat."  
  
"That sure was a speedy recovery," Lorelai commented, remembering Rory's earlier carsickness.  
  
Rory shrugged. "Yeah, I guess it was. Want me to bring anything up for you while I'm there?"  
  
"Coffee would be good."  
  
Nodding, Rory turned to grab her purse that was lazily thrown onto the bed. "Coffee it is, then."  
  
"Okay, I guess I'll see you in a little bit. I'm just going to catch up on some late-night TV shows while you're gone."  
  
Waving a quick good-bye to her mother, Rory headed downstairs, intent on hunting down a meal. She quickly made her way through the small crowd that occupied the restaurant to a table in the back of the room, away from the crowd. She figured it would be a quiet spot to relax, which was exactly what she needed.   
  
Once the waitress had taken her orders, she slid back into the chair, absently munching on some a bunch of nuts from a nearby bowl while she waited for her food to arrive.  
  
She didn't expect what would happen next.  
  
Just as she was about to place a peanut into her mouth, she felt someone bump into her shoulder, and then a warm puddle of coffee flew into her lap, causing her to jump. "Hey!" she shouted, and angrily got up from her seat to see who had so rudely bumped into her. She had half a mind to give him or her a good lecture or two. The nerve.  
  
"Mary."  
  
The soft voice broke into her anger, and she blinked rapidly, not quite believing what she was seeing. It COULDN'T be him. It just couldn't.  
  
"Tristan?" 


	3. Chapter Three

"Tristan?"  
  
So We Meet Again - Chapter Three  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, the WB owns everything, yadda yadda yadda. You know the drill. If you're going to sue, try someone who has more money than I do, k?  
  
  
~  
  
The words hung between them with baited breath, and Rory rubbed her eyes in an attempt to clear her vision. She had to be seeing things. That was it - she was going totally and completely insane!   
  
He stood there before her, his smile half-amused, half something that she couldn't quite place. But it scared her a little, and she didn't know why. In fact, this entire run-in - this experience, in fact - frightened her. It was one thing to run into someone by accident, but Tristan was supposed to have been in MILITARY school. So what was he doing there?  
  
"Yes, it is I," he said, his voice mocking her. She glared at him, almost forgetting what it felt like to do so. It had been so long since either of them had engaged in their usual sparring matches, after all.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She tried to sound angry, but mostly she was just concerned. When they had parted at Chilton during the school play, she had wound up feeling sorry for the bastard! Something she would have never thought possible before.  
  
He took a seat on the edge of the table, motioning for her to join him; but instead she refused, opting to stand right where she was, arms crossed in front of her chest. "Funny you should ask me that," he said, smirking.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because, in case you hadn't noticed, this isn't exactly Stars Hollow, your home town. So what are YOU doing here?"  
  
Her mouth turned up in an amused grin. "Trying to avoid the question, I see. Very clever. It just so happens I'm here on a little road trip with my mom."  
  
He gave a short chuckle at that. "Do you take these little road trips very often?"  
  
"No. Only when my mother breaks off an engagement or we get overly stressed or someone gets admitted into a mental hospital or - wait, why am I even bothering to explain anything to you?"  
  
"Because you find me so irresistibly charming?" He flashed her his cockiest smile, which in return earned him a swat on the arm from Rory, who was in no mood to be playing games. She just wanted to find out what was up with him and then go back to her normal life. Really, that's all she asked.  
  
"Nope. Nice guess, but try again."  
  
"Because..." he stammered, before finally shrugging his shoulders, appearing to have given up. "Well, frankly, I'm stumped as to why you're even bothering to speak to me. Last I checked, we weren't exactly friends."  
  
Rory was about to speak, but for some unexplained reason, she paused. Maybe it was the raw emotion in his voice that made her bite back the snappy response she had on the tip of her tongue. Whatever it was, she stood there, frozen; her mind a blank on what to say.  
  
"Thought so. Well, I'll see you around, Mary," Tristan said softly, hopping up off the edge of the table. He turned to go, casting one last look in Rory's direction; examining the curves of her face, trying to tell if there was any emotion there. When Rory remained blank-faced, he gave a slight nod of his head, getting all the answers he needed. Of course there wasn't any emotion written there. This was Rory Gilmore. She felt nothing but disdain for him - and perhaps mild amusement when the situation arose. But that was all.  
  
"Tristan, wait." Her voice was so soft, so quiet, he wasn't even sure it was really her speaking. "You still haven't told me what you're doing here."  
  
He turned around to face her again. "You wouldn't even care if I told you."  
  
Rory threw her hands up in the air, clearly annoyed at the games he was doing. "Why do you persist on doing this?"  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"This," she said, as if that was enough of an explanation. "These mind games you're playing with me. Why do you do it?"  
  
"Because I like to see you squirm," he said teasingly.  
  
"See, that's just what I mean. You never give me a straight answer when I ask so much as a simple question. Is there something you're trying to hide?" Suddenly curious, her eyebrow shot up. There was something more to this.  
  
Finally letting some of the tension escape from his muscles, Tristan let out a breath. "No, I am not, in fact, hiding anything. It's just sort of a long story."  
  
She motioned towards the table. "I've got time."  
  
Now it was his turn to ask the questions, as he was suddenly very curious. "Why are you doing this?"  
  
Frustrated, she let her hands fall to their sides and glared at him. A slicing glare, she hoped. "I'm not doing anything."  
  
"Yes you are. You're acting all concerned. Like you're my best friend or something. Which we both know you're not." There was bitterness in his voice, and he inwardly flinched when he saw the pain flash across her face.  
  
"Tristan," she said, a little more gently this time. "It's true that we were never what you would call friends, but I never hated you. If there's something you need to tell me, you can, you know."  
  
"Thanks, but I think I'll pass."  
  
"You can't hideout forever."  
  
The words struck him like a slap across the face, but he remained silently, digesting her words. Suddenly spotting a brunette amongst the crowds, he bolted upright, not wanting to be seen. Lorelai. He ducked his head and moved into a corner, trying to avoid all possible contact.  
  
"Tristan, why are you hiding?"  
  
"Your mom."  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"I can't let her see me." And he really couldn't. If Lorelai saw him, she would be wondering the same thing her daughter was - what the hell was he doing here. And that might lead her to making some phone calls, namely to his parents. His whole cover could be blown if he was spotted. "Meet me at the pool at 11," he said quickly, not bothering to think of the ramifications that might occur.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'll tell you everything. Just please trust me on this one, okay? I really have to go."  
  
"But Tristan-" Before she could finish that sentence, he was gone; having tore out of the restaurant as fast as he possibly could. She was left starring after him, a dazed expression on her face.  
  
"Rory, sweetie, is something wrong?"  
  
She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard her mother's voice. Turning around, she plastered on a cheery smile, and hoped for the best. "Nope, I was just thinking."  
  
"Oh. Well I got kind of lonely upstairs so I decided to come down here and see what was going on."  
  
Rory shrugged her shoulders, trying to play up the indifference act for all it was worth. "Nothing going on here."  
  
Her mother gave her a skeptical look, but decided to let it go. Picking up a menu on a nearby table, she leafed through it, trying to figure out what to order.  
  
Meanwhile, Rory just stood there, still a little bit in shock. If nothing else, she knew that she had to meet Tristan later that evening. There was a special kind of urgency in his voice, so it couldn't be just a joke.  
  
She had a feeling she would be ticking back the seconds until 11 o'clock came. 


	4. Chapter Four

So We Meet Again - Chapter Four  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, the WB owns everything, yadda yadda yadda. You know the drill. If you're going to sue, try someone who has more money than I do, k?  
  
~  
  
It was cool and damp out when Rory snuck out of her hotel room later that evening; first checking on her mother to make sure she was sound asleep. Indeed she was, with one blanket laying draped over one leg, Lorelai was as asleep as anyone could get. So glancing once more at the overhead clock, Rory decided then it was time to leave to meet Tristan.  
  
Ever since they had last spoken at the restaurant earlier that evening, Rory hadn't been able to get him out of her mind. Which was odd, because despite all the drama the previous year, they really didn't know each other very well at all. But there was something in Tristan's voice, something she couldn't quite shake.  
  
When she arrived at the pool at ten to eleven, the place was completely deserted, much to her dismay. Wrapping her woolen shawl around herself tighter, Rory parked herself on a nearby lounge chair, leaning back so she would have a full view of the entire area. She was early; after all, so there was still time for him to come.  
  
Relaxing back into her seat, she sat there and waited. An eternity seemed to go by, and still no one came. Perhaps she would fall asleep out here, since she was getting nice and comfy. It was entirely possible. If Tristan didn't show up soon she couldn't make any promises.  
  
As she was about to settle into a comfortable sleep - well, as comfortable as you could get sitting up - she heard a noise to her left, and then the sound of quickening footsteps. Thud, thud, thud. He had come after all.  
  
"Sorry I'm late," came a voice that was obviously Tristan's. Rory craned her neck around to see him standing by the entranceway; one arm leaning up against the wall as he gazed at her. She suddenly hugged her legs together, feeling uncomfortable in her own skin, although she didn't know why. She had known about his crush on her for awhile now, almost the entire year they attended Chilton together, so this shouldn't have been anything new. It really shouldn't have been.  
  
"Not as sorry as I am," she quipped. "I was just about to get some much needed sleep before you came in."  
  
"Well then I'll just go and let you get back to your beauty rest."  
  
Her eyes turned to slits as she glared at him. "You're not getting out of this one, Tristan."  
  
"I don't know what you think it is that I'm getting out of but-"  
  
"You know very well what I'm talking about," she said, scowling at him. Rising to her feet, she headed towards where he was standing. "How about we start with those cryptic messages you were giving me earlier."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Don't play dumb, Tristan. Although that wouldn't' be very hard for you, since you wouldn't really be playing at all."  
  
"Ha Ha. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mary," he muttered sarcastically, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.  
  
She tapped her fingers on the railing that was overlooking the pool where they stood. "I see the subtle approach isn't going to work, so I'm going to ask this point blank; what is it you wanted to tell me before?"  
  
"Oh...that." He nervously studied his feet while she eyed him with suspicion. "Um, maybe we should be sitting down for this."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because it's sort of a long story."  
  
"I'm good with standing." And to prove just that, she stood exactly where she was, arms folded neatly across chest. She wasn't going to let his stall tactics get to her.  
  
"Okay, then." He paused for a minute, as if relaying the story to himself in his head. She saw a pained look flash across his face for just a second, but then it was gone. "Where do I begin?"  
  
"How about with the reason you wouldn't let my mother see you earlier."  
  
"I ran away from military school...and I didn't want your mom to see me because I was afraid she'd tell my parents where I was," he said, all in one breath, and when he was done he averted his eyes from her.  
  
Her mouth hang open while she digested what he had just said. That was heavy. Very heavy. "Wow, Tristan...I don't know what to say."  
  
He gave a slight sneer. "How about 'congrats, Tristan, you just screwed your life up,'"  
  
"I wasn't going to say that," she said softly, suddenly feeling sorry for him. "But you're right, I don't like the fact that you ran away. Do you have any idea how many people are probably worried about you write now?"  
  
Tristan gave a bitter laugh, as if that was the funniest thing he ever heard. "They'll get over it."  
  
She was shocked. "How can you say that?"  
  
"Easily. My folks didn't give a damn about me when I WAS around, and then they were only too happy to get rid of me, hence shipping me off to military school."  
  
"Still, I'm sure they're worried sick. I mean, they don't have a clue as to where you are - if you've been kidnapped or lying in a ditch somewhere. You really should give them a call, at the very least,'  
  
"Why, so they can haul my ass back to military school? No thanks. That option doesn't sound very pleasant."  
  
She sighed, exasperated by his behavior. "So why'd you run away?" she finally asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.  
  
"There are many reasons," he began, recalling the hell that had been his life once he had been sent away. "The biggest being I couldn't stand anyone or anything in that place. Not to sound dramatic, but it was absolute hell."  
  
"So why didn't you talk to your parents about it?" she questioned, the pity in her stomach building. She couldn't help it; she felt genuinely sorry for Tristan. He really did sound lost.  
  
"Don't you think I tried? I practically begged my dad to reconsider his decision to send me away to military school...but to no avail."  
  
Rory nodded her head, finally beginning to understand what had driven him to do what he did. She knew it couldn't have been an easy decision. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't worry about it."  
  
"No, seriously. I guess I just didn't realize that some people don't have it as easy with their parents as I do."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
"So how long are you planning to stay here?" she asked, glancing around at the small motel; the chipped paint catching her eye. Somehow she wouldn't have expected Tristan to be staying in a place like this. It just didn't seem his type.  
  
"I'm leaving tomorrow, actually. Got a plane ticket and everything."  
  
"Oh," she said, her voice completely devoid of any emotion. A deep pang of sadness erupted in her stomach just then, and she didn't quite know why.  
  
"It will be nice to get away."  
  
"Yeah." Her gaze shifted to the ground, becoming fascinated by the bits of dead grass at her feet. Funny how things worked.  
  
Her cell phone rang, interrupting....well, nothing, as neither of them had spoke for quite sometime. Taking the phone from her pocket and answering, she said, "Hello?"  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Dean?!"  
  
Tristan could only let out a smirk at the obvious shock in her voice. 


End file.
